The Quest

Whew glad that is OVER.  The contest was fun but tough as all of them are.  I was pretty exhausted to be honested and wished that we only had to do the mandatory posing and then they judge and give the awards (I think everyone was too tired to do the posing routines LOL).  Anyway I earned 2nd place and I am happy but I want to win the title….so on to the gym (after a few days off of course).  I think that sometimes we forget that the competitors may take a few days to recover, get their head sorted, get back to work and THEN they finally make all the phone calls and internet posts to tell people the result of their event.  Most times the athletes are far too tired mentally and possibly physically, to jump online or ring everyone who will listen to tell of their result ….even if they win.

 I also wonder about recovery after a contest.  What or how should a person treat their body for a smooth or optimal recovery?  I know that many competitors when they are done for the season go out and have "junky" types of foods and they all know what happens when they do that…..

The next big contest is the IFBB NPC Nationals to be held in October.  Our guest poser is Dennis Wolf so of course I dont want to miss that!

Well the weigh in was yesterday (Sat.) and the IFBB NPC Australasia is today (Sun.)  I am up very early.  We have  prejudging at 9am but I woke up at like 5 am. I suppose its just the nerves and checking on my conditioning.  All day Sat. I have had carbohydrates, rice and sweet potato and a few pieces of fruit (pears and banana). I did not have much protein or fat because I am have been on a low carb diet and I am SO over having fat and protein also I found that I got bloated when I had carbs and protein together.  I suspect that my digestive system has adjusted to not having carbs.

My flight was at 6am into Sydney on Saturday. It was not much problem getting upat 4:30 am to get to the airport. Keep in mind I have been getting up at 5am for the past few months so I can do cardio and some weights before work. So I am fairly adjusted to getting up like this and being active. My hotel is great. Its in downtown Sydney so all I have to do is take the train direct from the airport to the CBD train stop and then walk 2 blocks to my hotel.  I have one mate here who is taking me to the weigh in on Sat. and prelims. on Sunday.

I find weigh ins very intimidating.  EVERYONE looks so good !  Also you have the onlookers who are not competing who are on the sidelines making  comments and taking notes on your physique for next season.  Sure they talk crap about how BIG they will be at the next contest and about how they will beat you.  In fact I had someone approach me in that manner.  They made comment on my size and stated how they will be 240 lbs at Nationals and how I never have been that big. So, I simply said to them, not to worry…I have had to punish many guys up at 240lbs when I beat them by focusing on my strengths. I think what these guys forget is that it is bodybuilding…not weight gaining compeition.  There is a combination of size, symmetry, muscularity and density that is important as well as just sheer size.

Well…lets see if I can put this all to use.  This morning I am going to have some eggs and banana from breakfast.  Then 2 hours before going onstage I will have some ice cream. I will also have some NO Xplode just before pump up. What do you think about this final nutrition prep?
Wish me luck !

Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2008 Apr;291(4):448- 55.
Melatonin is as effective as testosterone in the prevention of soleus muscle atrophy induced by castration in rats.

Oner J, Oner H, Sahin Z, Demir R, Ustünel I.
The purpose of this experiment was to compare the weight, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) expression, and ultrastructure of the soleus muscle in growing castrated rats treated with testosterone or melatonin. In this study, adult male Wistar albino rats were used. The groups were arranged as sham, castrated, and testosterone- or melatonin-injected groups after castration. The soleus muscle samples were fixed in Bouin’s solution for immunohistochemistr y, and in 2.5% gluteraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Whereas castration reduced the soleus weight and fiber diameter, testosterone and melatonin administration increased them. IGF-I immunostaining observed in the satellite cells and periphery of the myofibers was least intense in the castrated group. Strong staining of IGF-I was observed in the testosterone- and melatonin-administe red groups. The ultrastructure of the soleus muscle in castrated animals showed the important ultrastructural modifications related to degeneration. In these groups, degenerative mitochondria, glycogen clusters under the sarcolemma, irregular Z lines, and loss of lamina externa were observed. The ultrastructure of myofibrils in the testosterone- and melatonin-injected groups was similar to that in sham groups in view of structure. In conclusion, we suggest that melatonin is as effective as testosterone in the prevention of atrophy induced by castration through the IGF-I axis. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc

It seems that any time anyone develops a supplement or drug that actually helps with performance or anti ageing its immediately banned by the various sports authorities…(usually without consultation or review from the public)  So if this study posted here has merit, what next? ban Tylenol from the Olympics? ban all over the counter pain medications?

ScienceDaily (Apr. 7, 2008) — Taking daily recommended dosages of
ibuprofen and acetaminophen caused a substantially greater increase
over placebo in the amount of quadriceps muscle mass and muscle
strength gained during three months of regular weight lifting, in a
study by physiologists at the Human Performance Laboratory, Ball
State University.

Dr. Chad Carroll, a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Todd Trappe,
reported study results at Experimental Biology 2008 in San Diego on
April 6.*

Thirty-six men and women, between 60 and 78 years of age (average age
65), were randomly assigned to daily dosages of either ibuprofen
(such as that in Advil), acetaminophen (such as that in Tylenol), or
a placebo. The dosages were identical to those recommended by the
manufacturers and were selected to most closely mimic what chronic
users of these medicines were likely to be taking. Neither the
volunteers nor the scientists knew who was receiving which treatment
until the end of the study.

All subjects participated in three months of weight training, 15-20
minute sessions conducted in the Human Performance Laboratory three
times per week. The researchers knew from their own and other studies
that training at this intensity and for this time period would
significantly increase muscle mass and strength. They expected the
placebo group to show such increases, as its members did, but they
were surprised to find that the groups using either ibuprofen or
acetaminophen did even better.

An earlier study from the laboratory, measuring muscle metabolism (or
more precisely, muscle protein synthesis, the mechanism through which
new protein is added to muscle), had looked at changes over a 24 hour
period. This "acute" study found that both ibuprofen and
acetaminophen had a negative impact, by blocking a specific enzyme
cyclooxygenase, commonly referred to as COX.

But that study looked at only one day. Over three months, says Dr.
Trappe, the chronic consumption of ibuprofen or acetaminophen during
resistance training appears to have induced intramuscular changes
that enhance the metabolic response to resistance exercise, allowing
the body to add substantially more new protein to muscle.

The amount of change was measured in quadricep muscles using Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI), the gold standard for determining muscle
mass. The researchers now are conducting assays of muscle biopsies
taken before and after the three-month period of resistance training,
in order to understand the metabolic mechanism of the positive
effects of ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

One of the foci of Ball State’s Human Performance Laboratory is the
adaptation of the elderly to exercise. Another is the loss of muscle
mass that takes place when astronauts are exposed to long-term
weightlessness. This work has implications for both groups, says Dr.
Trappe.

*This presentation was part of the scientific program of the American
Physiological Society (APS). In addition to Dr. Carroll and Dr.
Trappe, co-authors of the Experimental Biology presentation are Jared
Dickinson, Jennifer Lemoine, Jacob Haus, and Eileen Weinheimer,
graduate students working with Dr. Trappe, and study physician Dr.
Christopher Hollon.

Funding for the research came from the National Institutes of Health
and a postdoctoral initiative award from APS.